Just wondering what an unmodified, box-stock bull-barrel version of the 10/22 has in terms of performance over a standard-width barrel. I'm thinking of getting one of these perhaps in preparation for an Appleseed shoot. I already have a regular 10/22, I put it in a Tapco stock and got the extended mag release and the bolt release mod, but otherwise it's pretty stock. It's a fun plinker, but I'm wondering how much better a bull barrel version will be and if it's worth it. I'm interested in this model mainly because I already have a bunch of 10/22 mags.

I have a butler creek heavy barrel on my 10/22 and i love it! It made the gun way more accurate, but it does add a lot of weight so be ready for that. Other than the weight, i think you will be very impressed.

The target model is moderately more accurate than a standard 10/22 but their barrels are not as accurate as a good quality yet inexpensive aftermarket target barrel like a Green Mountain and not in the same league as high-buck barrels like Kidd. But you'll only see the difference with good quality target ammo.

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I put a tactical solutions barrel on my delux model with the hammer kit shown above...Great tack driving rifle for me and the family. rimfirecentral is a place to go also for all the 10-22 mods you will ever want to do...

Doesn't matter what guns I shoot during the day I always go back to the 10-22

With rimfire power levels the barrel is not stressed to centerfire levels with vibration and movement. So if the interior of the barrel is the same going from a sporter profile to a heavy profile barrel alone is not a big improvement. Where you get an improvement with aftermarket rimfire barrels will be the inside dimensions and design. Aftermarket barrel makers will hold closer to optimum dimensions in all areas of the barrel. They will offer options such as chamber types, muzzle angles and shapes, choking, leade differences, land and groove types and surface finish quality. These options add up to offer better accuracy than a standard production barrel.
Some rifle makers will sell a model with a barrel they think is better than their standard fare and might be worth a try, but mostly shooters look to the aftermarket for a premium barrel.
Its not the outside size that the bullet sees. Its the inside of the barrel that the bullet sees.

With rimfire power levels the barrel is not stressed to centerfire levels with vibration and movement. So if the interior of the barrel is the same going from a sporter profile to a heavy profile barrel alone is not a big improvement. Where you get an improvement with aftermarket rimfire barrels will be the inside dimensions and design. Aftermarket barrel makers will hold closer to optimum dimensions in all areas of the barrel. They will offer options such as chamber types, muzzle angles and shapes, choking, leade differences, land and groove types and surface finish quality. These options add up to offer better accuracy than a standard production barrel.
Some rifle makers will sell a model with a barrel they think is better than their standard fare and might be worth a try, but mostly shooters look to the aftermarket for a premium barrel.
Its not the outside size that the bullet sees. Its the inside of the barrel that the bullet sees.

This is exactly right on the money. The chambers in factory barrels are designed to facilitate absolutely reliable semiautomatic feeding (at the expense of accuracy) and are much sloppier than the very tight match chambers found in match grade bolt action rifles like those from Anschutz. Most aftermarket 10/22 target barrels utilize a very functional compromise called a "Bentz" chamber. A Bentz chamber is just loose enough to feed reliably but plenty tight enough to vastly improve accuracy. Unfortunately hyper-velocity hunting ammo will not fit properly in the tight Bentz chamber leaving you limited to high-velocity ammo and slow moving target ammo.

Older Ruger 10/22 Target rifles had the same sloppy chamber found in the sporters and were no more accurate. Rumor has it that they've been tightened up a bit but are still not a true Bentz chamber but I have never taken the time to confirm it.

If you don't want to go to the expense of replacing the stock you can always go with an aftermarket sporter barrel ($80-150). They mimic the size and shape of a factory barrel but are a lot more accurate than a factory barrel.

This was just zeroing the scope at 25yds (1st time shooting it with an ER Shaw factory profile barrel). Ammo was Wolf Match Target.

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Thanks for the responses, everyone. When putting on an aftermarket barrel, is that something anyone can do, or is it a job for a qualified gunsmith? I'm thinking that of its going to cost upwards of $1000 to get a real tack driving rig, it might not be worth it. After all, while I do eventually want to shoot an Appleseed, the primary purpose of this gun will be plinking and fun.

Thanks for the responses, everyone. When putting on an aftermarket barrel, is that something anyone can do, or is it a job for a qualified gunsmith? I'm thinking that of its going to cost upwards of $1000 to get a real tack driving rig, it might not be worth it. After all, while I do eventually want to shoot an Appleseed, the primary purpose of this gun will be plinking and fun.

There is nothing on a 10/22 that you can't do yourself with a bit of patience. Barrels are easy but you'll need to shoot match ammo (after finding through trial and error the brand your rifle likes best) to reach the full accuracy potential of the barrel. Just keep in mind that there still may be tuning that you need to do to get every last bit of accuracy out of your rifle. Barrels run $80-400 with $150ish being the sweet spot. Perfectly good install it yourself trigger job in a box kits run $30-110 while all out match triggers are up to $300. If you want a new stock figure $150. I like building and tuning but it can take time, money, and lots patience.

Bottom line you could easily put the cost (or double the cost) of a CZ455 into a into a 10/22 but it would be your creation. But you can't always just throw parts at it. You may have to do days or weeks of tuning to get it exactly how you want it but you'll learn a lot. If you like DIY projects it's a nice way to go but if you don't then I'd use your current 10/22 for Appleseed and plinking and pick up a CZ for match shooting.

10rds of Wolf Match @ 50m.

__________________
"Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." --FREDERIC BASTIAT--

Proud Life Member: National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation.

Thanks for the responses, everyone. When putting on an aftermarket barrel, is that something anyone can do, or is it a job for a qualified gunsmith? I'm thinking that of its going to cost upwards of $1000 to get a real tack driving rig, it might not be worth it. After all, while I do eventually want to shoot an Appleseed, the primary purpose of this gun will be plinking and fun.

It's a very easy job to install the barrel. Take off the stock, remove the 2 screws under the barrel, pull the barrel out, freeze the new barrel for 15mins, put some lube on the base, slide the new barrel in.

To set up a tack driver all you really "need" is some trigger components for as little as $40-$50, a barrel, and maybe a stock to fit a bull barrel.

As noted above, one of the most critical issues to precision rim fire accuracy is chamber dimensions. I had Randy at CPC redo my stock 10-22 heavy target barrel and the results are amazing. While I am not trying to talk you out of spending money, consider having your chamber recut. My recut Ruger 10-22 T barrel is as accurate as or more so than any of the often mentioned heavy barrels on the market today. The work by Randy, and a Kidd trigger group made my standard Ruger 10-22T a totally different gun. Well under minute of angle with the proper ammunition when I do my part.

"10/22 Gunsmith Notes: Ruger 10/22 barrels are cut with a standard SAAMI .22 reamer which cuts .062" too deep. Production speed machine reaming often leaves burrs in throat and chambers not concentric to bore. Aftermarket barrels have tighter, shorter chambers (sometimes too tight) than the SAAMI print but seldom short or concentric enough for maximum accuracy."

CPC designs its own reamers for the 10/22 called CPC Freebore chamber for ideal function and accuracy. Setback is .187" to .250" on breech end. The newly cut area on barrel shank is oversize for a 'line to line' tight fit into the receiver stabilizing the two parts. A steel spacer is cut and hand fit into the barrel lockdown cut to insure proper retightening. CPC fits a reamer pilot to the exact bore size and re-reams each barrel by hand. New chamber throat and crowns are cut concentric to bore within .0002".

After shooting a 10/22 with a bull barrel, I would say its way better. I was hitting the gong at 235 yards at the range i go to. This guy's 10/22 weighed 12 lbs lol. It was a blast. Just my experience though.

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The Wolf Match Target ammo has proved to be disturbingly accurate across any rifle I've seen. When it was $2.50/50, I would give 20-30 rds to other 22LR shooters at my club range, so they could get a sense of what their rifles could do. It typically takes >10 rds to "season" a barrel so multiple magazines to test are a must. EVERY person I gave ammo to was pleasantly surprised or shocked at what a "group" looks like compared to a "pattern". That's some seriously great ammo, which is also SK Jagd if you can't find the Wolf.

I have a cheap aftermarket Midway/B&C bull I bought on closeout from Midway BEFORE I bought a 10/22 on sale at Big 5. I never bothered to shoot the stock barrel, nor use the stock stock (hehe). Point being, even 6-7 years ago, the 10/22 was just the basis of an accurate rifle.

Shooting from the bench or prone, the Wolf goes <.75 MOA at 100 yards for my 10/22, and that is a great training tool. As folks have mentioned, high velocity hunting ammo tends not to be so great, my dope says dial the scope 6" lower at 100 yards for CCI Stingers, and instead of .75 MOA figure on 3 MOA. BUT - the A&B barrel will chamber and reliably shoot the weird Stinger case. The Triple-Shock (post CCI buyout) is ~2 MOA but won't take out a coyote like a Stinger.

For what it's worth, getting to 1.2 MOA with a factory trigger prompted a $65 Clark trigger group, but that got me to .8 MOA. After that, the $400 Bushnell 4200 6-24x30 AO might be deemed overkill, but I learn something about shooting every time I go to the range with that 10/22.

I use wolf match, it's great ammo. A fly landed on my target at the 50yard line, so I shot it. I feel that good ammo I important, if you buy a nice barrel, scope, and trigger, then use crap ammo, it defeats the purpose. You'll never know how well you or your components shoot

my buddy's 10/22 became a tack driver when he put a bull barrel on it.....personally i dont think anything is as cool as the helical fluted barrels, and i hear they are VERY accurate too

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Now for the big cost ---> the darn things are like potato chips and you can never stop at just one.

Well worth it though IMHO. I made the mistake of buying a synthetic/SS 10/22 thinking how nice it would be to have over wood/blued. The only thing left on it is the trigger housing, bolt, and receiver.

I had 400 dollars in parts before I ever bought a 10/22. Now I need to upgrae some more just for fun. I have a tacsol barrel and a Houge overmolded that was great as a hunting rig for bunnies but now is due for a target tune up since my centerfire trips are limited by my son and how much time I can take away. Rimfire is just up the street, centerfire is hour away.

Just wondering what an unmodified, box-stock bull-barrel version of the 10/22 has in terms of performance over a standard-width barrel. I'm thinking of getting one of these perhaps in preparation for an Appleseed shoot. I already have a regular 10/22, I put it in a Tapco stock and got the extended mag release and the bolt release mod, but otherwise it's pretty stock. It's a fun plinker, but I'm wondering how much better a bull barrel version will be and if it's worth it. I'm interested in this model mainly because I already have a bunch of 10/22 mags.

If you just want to shoot at an Appleseed you already have what you need. You don't need an upgraded, $1000 10/22 for Appleseed. You need that for shooting MOA/sub-MOA groups or buy a $500 CZ 452, 453 or 455 bolt action.

I shoot a Kidd Barrel and at 50 yards with no wind from a bench, I am shooting through the same hole. Cant get that with a regular 10/22 barrel consistently. If you don't want to go to the extremes of a Kidd, I always heard great things about Green Mountain barrels.

I say build the 10/22 or if you can find an old used one thats not bad. But one thing that you have to do is decide what you want to make a tactical build or tack driver. I like a precision 10/22 myself, but yeah the disease can get bad.

The thing is though its not too pricey compared to building up some other rifles. I mean I have a great shooter/ground squirrel killer and its cheap to shoot.

With just that set up you will have a sub-moa shooter easily. And you can shoot it all day for less then $20 a box. Really it will just come down to what color stock and look of the barrel you want, thats one of the hardest parts.

My understanding is that 10/22T's are currently rationed, if not completely unavailable, from the ruger factory right now.

I found one used for a good price a few months ago. Everyone said "build" instead of "buy", but I bought one anyways. It was in like-new condition with a really nice scope, so it was worth the price. I have a couple of semi-custom 10/22s, so I have a good comparison.

The 10/22T is a nice rifle. It's substantially better than the stock 10/22. Mine shoots 1 MOA at 25 yards, compared to 4-6 MOA of my stock carbines. The trigger, while dramatically better than stock, is still just BARELY acceptable, in my opinion. I send all my triggers to Brimstone gunsmithing for a $40 trigger job. It's the best deal in Ruger triggers, as far as I'm concerned.

Although I got a good deal on my 10/22T with a nice Nikon scope, I would agree that building is better than buying, especially if you have to buy new. I actually think you can get a rifle on the cheap, if you shop for used parts.

I also think that the bull barrelled 10/22s are too heavy for appleseed. They're difficult to shoot offhand, and a struggle to get into the prone position without banging your rifle on the ground. I shot rifleman for the first time last weekend with a score of 239 with an accurized 10/22 carbine. It was much easier to handle, and equally accurate at 25 meters.

I had the trigger done by Brimstone gunsmithing, and I had the bolt trued up and the barrel recrowned and chamberd by a guy named Que on rimfirecentral.com. The total cost, including shipping was $45 for the trigger job, and $35 for the bolt job, and $65 for the barrel job. I couldn't be more pleased with the rifle. I especially like the fact that the rifle is completely stock on the outside, a sleeper.

I also think that the bull barrelled 10/22s are too heavy for appleseed. They're difficult to shoot offhand, and a struggle to get into the prone position without banging your rifle on the ground. I shot rifleman for the first time last weekend with a score of 239 with an accurized 10/22 carbine. It was much easier to handle, and equally accurate at 25 meters.

This depends a lot on the shooter. Many people find that a muzzle heavy rifle is easier to shoot accurately offhand because the added mass out front makes it easier to steady down the muzzle (less muzzle wander). But again it depends on the shooter.

__________________
"Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." --FREDERIC BASTIAT--

Proud Life Member: National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation.